By Sabine Klier
Around 50 self-proclaimed environmentalists have occupied trees in Wuhlheide. They are protesting against the planned new road construction, which is intended to relieve the pressure on Köpenicker Strasse and Treskow-Allee. For the 352 million euro project, 15.8 hectares of forest, as much as 22 soccer fields, are to be felled.
Not a week goes by without people blocking, demonstrating or pasting. Now the climate radicals have organized the next nerve protest – as tree squatters!
A conservationist in a wheelchair is pulled onto a wooden platform seven meters above the ground Photo: Ralf Gunther
Demonstrators against the construction of the tangential connection East (TVO) have occupied Wuhlheide since Saturday afternoon. In addition, access to the forest path near the railway line is made more difficult by branches laid across it. Around 50 tree squatters set up Berlin’s first forest camp there.
Four wooden platforms, a tree house and several hanging sleeping bags hang seven meters high between swaying pines. Posters are attached to it. It says: “Don’t talk to cops.” More sleeping bags are dangling between three tree trunks that are laid next to each other (triport).
In training courses, the tree squatters learn how to climb the trees with ropes Photo: Ralf Gunther
People are roping themselves up other trees, wanting to build more nests where they want to spend the coming days and nights. There are also three wheelchair users. The activists, most of them in their early 20s, are dressed in black and wear ski masks. “We are queer-feminist and anti-capitalist,” says Carlo (22) from Berlin, spokeswoman for “Wuhlibleibt”.
“We are queer feminists. We want to create a utopia here,” says Carlo (22). Photo: Ralf Gunther
“We are not only protesting against the streets and the reactionary transport policy, we also want to be an open contact point for local residents and anyone who is interested. We want to be a utopia for a different form of living together. We want to abolish patriarchy.”
They address each other as human, avoiding gender-identifying pronouns. Some wear colorful wigs and rhinestones on their faces. Pinus (25) “studied nature conservation”, wears a climbing harness around his waist and a black face mask with cat ears. He knows his way around the forest.
Some tree squatters have fixed their hammocks at a height of seven meters Photo: Ralf Gunther
“Giving up is not an option. We want to speak to Kai Wegner. Because the planning of the route is totally outdated. Even more roads produce even more traffic.” Instead, they demand free public transport.
The planned route was already planned in the early 1960s. Pine trees grow in the 370 hectare forest area, oak and maple in the undergrowth. Planning for the construction of the 6.4-kilometer TVO has been going on in the Senate since 2013.
According to a study, the usage potential by 2030 is estimated at 33,000 vehicles per working day. 16 hectares of forest are to be cut down for the construction of the TVO, and the ground area sealed. Planned costs: 351 million euros. A start of construction has not yet been determined. The implementation of the route was specified in the CDU/SPD coalition agreement.
Police officers inspected the site on Sunday afternoon. Two helicopters circled over the wooded area. “An eviction is not expected today,” said a police officer. The tree squatters do not want to destroy nature.
“Giving up is not an option,” says Pinus (25), who once studied nature conservation Photo: Ralf Gunther
“That’s why we’ve marked out paths here so that we don’t get destroyed more than necessary,” says Pinus. “The forester cannot be reached. We informed the forestry office that we were here.”